


Winter Web

by MagicalStranger13



Category: Strange Magic (2015)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-24
Updated: 2016-12-24
Packaged: 2018-09-11 16:02:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,181
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8997493
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MagicalStranger13/pseuds/MagicalStranger13
Summary: During her first winter in the Dark Forest, Bog shows Marianne an honored tradition in the goblin culture.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Just a little Strange Magic Christmas drabble for the lovely fandom! <3  
> Loosely based on the legend of the Christmas Spider.

Marianne burrowed deeper into her long, hooded coat of ash-grey rabbit fur, her major defense against the icy bite of the wind.  The snow crunched beneath her thick, rawhide boots as she followed behind Bog to the ceremonial clearing. 

It was the dark, early, pre-dawn hours of the Eve before the Winter Festival.  This year was the first time Marianne had opted to stay with her consort-king in the Dark Forest rather than migrating with her people to the south lands. 

Despite the cold, and the loss of flight due to the pressing need to bundle up her wings and delicate skin, Marianne would be lying if she said she wasn’t fascinated by the fluffy, drifting, snowflakes, the crystal gleam of the icicles, and the hypnotizing, silent beauty of nature swathed in a blanket of pure white. 

She’d vastly enjoyed helping out during the late-year harvest, playing with the goblin children in the snow, filling her belly with hot cider and salted deer meat, and of course her favorite, cuddling up alone with Bog before a roaring fire. 

But now, they were on their way to enjoy an apparently very important seasonal tradition: the Winter Pinecone. 

Bog hadn’t explained much, other than that it was supposed to be a symbol of reverence for their home and it had to be decorated before sunrise. 

The princess stifled a yawn as she and Bog began to climb a flight of carved stone steps nestled between two thorn bushes.  Well, she was all for learning more about the goblin culture, but she still would’ve preferred to spend this unholy (and freezing) hour back at the warm castle and under the covers with Bog.  It certainly wasn’t fair how _tempting_ he looked in his own rabbit fur cloak of coal black. 

When the pair reached the top of the boulder, they found Stuff and Thang waiting for them, and Marianne observed the sight below.

A quite large group of goblins of all shapes, sizes, and ages had assembled in the clearing; they smiled and clapped at the arrival of their king and his esteemed guest.  And in the center, surrounded by the masses, was the largest pinecone Marianne had ever seen! 

It was tall, probably three times Bog’s height, and at least as thick as Brutus.  Its brown scales were open and lightly dusted with frost, and it was held in place by a circle of pebbles at the base. 

Even as the applause died down, there was anticipation in the air, palpable enough for Marianne to sense, and she felt herself growing somewhat excited.

“Ready when you are, sire.”  Thang stated with a sweeping bow. 

Bog nodded to his aide and stepped forward, thumping his staff against the rock. 

“Shall we, Tough Girl?”  Bog asked, glancing at Marianne.

But the fairy frowned and leaned in to whisper.

“I thought you said the Pinecone needed to be decorated before morning.”

“It does.”

Marianne squinted down at the waiting crowd of......completely empty-handed goblins.

“Then where are the decorations?"

Bog chuckled.

“Oh,  _we_ dorn’t decorate it.”

“We _don’t_?”  Marianne looked at him puzzled.

“Nope, _he_ does.”

Opening the front of his cloak, Marianne gasped to see Pip nestled snugly under Bog’s left arm. 

“Him and all his little friends.”  Bog added as he gently set the spider down and patted its abdomen. 

Stunned, Marianne scanned the far overhanging branches, but it was impossible to discern any arachnid forms in such dim lighting and from such a distance.  

“Alright, buddy,” Bog said, giving his pet one final stroke, “go get it!”

At the order, Pip obediently skittered off down the boulder and into the clearing, heading straight for the Pinecone.  The goblins cheered and quickly made a path for him.  The instant Pip reached the Pinecone, he climbed all the way to the top and crawled around and around.  There was then a delighted shout, and Marianne saw that the goblins were now jumping and pointing skyward.  Following their line of attention, she realized that the enthusiasm was caused by the appearance of at least twenty spiders descending on their lines of thread right to the Pinecone.  Marianne watched in awe as they joined Pip, and soon there was a veritable army of spiders racing all over the Pinecone, gradually making their way down to the ground.  In their wake, they were covering the scales with their webbing!

Marianne wasn’t sure how long this... _ritual_ took, but eventually, the distant chirping of birds could be heard, and the cloudy sky began to lighten in the east.  As if sensing it themselves, the spiders crept off of the Pinecone and scattered in different directions back to the safety of the trees.  Pip came directly back to his master, who happily scooped him up into his arms and rewrapped him with the cloak. 

“Good boy, Pip!”  Bog praised, grinning at his beloved friend.

“So you use spiders to decorate the Pinecone?”  Marianne observed, carefully bushing her fingers over Pip’s head.  “Doesn’t that get messy, though?”

Bog only shook his head with a smirk and gestured to the clearing with his staff.

“Just watch.” 

A respectful stillness fell over the goblins and Marianne stared back and forth between the cobweb-shrouded Pinecone and the eastern horizon.  The winter chill made her shiver, and Bog stood close, curling his free arm around her and occasionally pressing a kiss to the top of her head. 

When the first rays of dawn poured into the clearing, the contrast of bright light after such a long stretch of darkness was enough for Marianne to initially shield her eyes, but after only a few minutes, the true attraction was known. 

Golden sun beams fell over the Pinecone and Marianne’s breath caught as they lit up the countless number of dewdrops hidden in the silken stands of the spider’s craft.  Like diamonds, they shimmered and sparkled in the Winter Festival morn, but even that wasn’t the best part!  As the sunlight grew stronger, so did the glittering effect of the webbing and dew.  So much so, that eventually, they reflected all across the bare tree trunks bordering the clearing. 

Marianne was speechless.  It was as if someone had grabbed a load of stars from the heavens and cast them into the forest.  She had never seen anything so beautiful in her whole life! 

“What do ye think?”  Bog asked, nudging her with a grin.

“It’s...it’s _unbelievable_.”  Marianne breathed, gaping at the twinkling wonder before her as the goblins laughed, sang, and romped in the snow, chasing the flecks of light like fireflies.  “Bog, it’s _gorgeous_!”

“I’m glad ye think so.  We goblins believe spiders to be good luck; they work hard and are very patient.  So, we let them decorate the Pinecone to represent our hope that the Dark Forest will continue to bless us with bounty.”

Turning to him, Marianne laid her head against Bog’s shoulder and tickled one of Pip’s legs.

“Thank you for sharing this with me.”

“Thank _you_ fer _bein’_ here with me.” 

“Happy Winter Festival, Bog.”

“Happy Winter Festival, Tough Girl.”

**Author's Note:**

> Merry Christmas to you all!!!  
> :D


End file.
